Worcestershire fight back despite Wernars fifty
A half-century from South African-born all-rounder Kirk Wernars failed to prevent Sussex from conceding a first innings lead of 25 on the second day of their County Championship Division One match against Worcestershire at Horsham
11-Aug-2011
A half-century from South African-born all-rounder Kirk Wernars failed to
prevent Sussex from conceding a first innings lead of 25 on the second day of
their County Championship Division One match against Worcestershire at
Horsham.
The 20-year-old from Cape Town, who qualifies for county cricket because he has
a Dutch passport, made a composed 53 in only his third first-class game. Earlier, makeshift opener Joe Gatting made 71 but Sussex's familiar failure to build a substantial score was evident again as they were bowled out for 265 - the eighth time in their last nine innings that they have made less than 300.
Worcestershire went in again shortly before the close and reached 16 without
loss, a lead of 41 going into the third day. Earlier, Gatting and Ed Joyce posted 57 for the first wicket in a rain-affected morning session before Joyce was athletically caught by wicketkeeper Ben Scott chasing a ball angled down the leg side by Gareth Andrew.
Alan Richardson bowled Luke Wells through the gate for a duck and the veteran
seamer then picked up Gatting, who had hit 11 fours from 77 balls faced, when he
adjusted his length and found the edge.
Out-of-form skipper Mike Yardy paid the penalty for chasing width and Ben Brown
played on to Moeen Ali, who picked up three wickets for 43 runs from 17 overs of
probing off breaks. But from 152 for five Sussex were revived by a stand of 61 in 20 overs between Murray Goodwin and Wernars.
Goodwin, inhibited perhaps by a hand injury he picked up in Monday's Friends
Life t20 quarter-final, was dropped at second slip by Daryl Mitchell on 17. However, the Worcestershire captain made amends when he clung on to a sharp chance when Goodwin - on 48 - gave Saeed Ajmal the charge.
Wayne Parnell offered compatriot Wernars decent support in a seventh-wicket
stand of 28 before he padded up to Moeen. However, Wernars completed his half-century off 110 balls and had moved onto 53 when he was needlessly run out. Monty Panesar drilled the ball straight to Alex Kervezee at mid-on and set off for a single and his partner was too slow in
responding as Kervezee produced an accurate return.
Moeen picked up his third wicket when James Anyon edged to slip. With the light too bad for his quicker bowlers, Yardy opened with Panesar and off-spinner Wells but Worcestershire's openers survived six overs at the end without alarm.
